Wednesday, April 29, 2009

A rediscovered Youth

As a kid, I was always encouraged musically. I started playing piano when I was five. I started learning percussion when I was eleven because I had trouble reading rhythms in my piano studies. I battled with practicing these two instruments until I was twenty years old. Drums won.

Despite all of this musical activity and encouragement, I totally missed out on a lot of music growing up. I really didn't start listening to the music of my generation until it was tailing off, and even then, I just wasn't in to a lot of it. Nirvana didn't hold a lot for me. I did love Soundgarden's Superunknown and Stone Temple Pilot's Purple.

Now, in my adult life, I'm rediscovering all sorts of good music I missed out on back then. One of the biggest revelations to me has been Sonic Youth. I have an excuse for not having listened to Daydream Nation - I was only seven when it was released - but this band was a major piece of the musical puzzle when I was in my formative music-listening years.

The crazy thing is that this band, formed in 1981, is still creating music. They recently left Geffen Records and signed with Matador Records who plans to release the band's latest effort on June 9th.

I think that, if for no other reason than the repose of my teenage soul, I may just check this one out.

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